Window Flowers: Chinese Paper Cutting in Huangtu Plateau-Forms in Daily Life

It is our pleasure to announce the opening of the exhibition, ‘Window Flowers: Chinese Paper Cutting in Huangtu Plateau-Forms in Daily Life,’ as the fifth exhibition of the Arts of People series at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. As one of our four exhibition series, the objective of the “the Arts of People” is to redefine the concept of ‘art’ in modern and contemporary Asia.  That is, the series is a positive effort to introduce popular and folk arts that have been omitted from the framework of the museum or exhibition derived from modern Western value, while they are deeply rooted in traditions and societies of each period and part of Asia.

The Chinese paper cutting or “Jianzhi” in Chinese has been utilized to decorate various scenes of everyday life, such as the Chinese New Year, the wedding ceremony, etc.  Among the Chinese paper cuttings found in such harsh natural condition in the Huangtu Plateau, Window Flowers are particularly impressive one.  Adorning the grille windows of Yaodong or a house cave, the Window Flowers bring beautiful shadows like a stained glass as the light pours in the Yaodong through the paper cuttings.  Without cessation, the tradition of these rich paper cuttings has been handed down by women living in farming communities.  Thus, along with the Window Flowers itself, the exhibition also displays the lifestyle and the living environment of the people in the Huangtu Plateau to explore deep into their walks and to provide much insight into the forms.